Fan Appreciation Day

It is a day to simply appreciate the fans. In a year that hasn’t lived up to any of our expectations, you all have come out to the stadium in record numbers, spent your hard-earned money and devoted your time to following the team. Many of you have come here every day for the past seven months for Dodger news and insight and to post daily messages, sharing your thoughts with the front office and other fans.

I don’t think there is any scenario in which we’ll go after A-Rod, and I personally don’t want one player in our clubhouse who’s going to make more money than the other eight players on the field combined. If we decide to settle the third base issue with a proven player, I’d go after Atkins from the FA list. I’m not pushing for that, because, if LaRoche is over his physical impairments, I think he could finally develop into what his prospect expectations have been promising all along.
I’m still hoping that we will get a new management team for next season, because to me Colletti and Grady have both been a bust, and I see no reason to carry on with either man in a position to determine this club’s future.

and i dont think you can say ned and grady have done a terrilbe job. yes i dont agree with all of grady’s decisions and ned’s signings but they have only been around for 2 years. and the young guys are gonna own the team next year. so keep them both and i am POSITIVE that we WILL win a world series in the next couple years

I’m a competitor,” he said. “A lot of times, people see us as selfish, that we don’t want the young kids to play. That’s not true. We just want to win. Guys can hit .330, and it doesn’t mean you win. When we struggled, I just wish they would have stayed with us. We would have found a way to fix it. We know the numbers weren’t there, but we were winning games. We’re good players, we’d find a way. I just feel like the gameplan wasn’t to everyone’s knowledge. The lineups were different, and it makes it hard for everybody.”

Ho hum…McCourt said today both our heroes will return. That and higher ticket prices. Guess we’ll have to take solace in the Padres mini collapse. Here’s hoping Peavy has a splendidly awful day tomorrow in Denver.

messagebear posts his typical and thus repetitive post an hour and a half after McCourt’s comments are on dodgers.com. This is representative of the type of work and preparation that goes into his ranting posts.
For a while he would start his posts with the claim that ours is the most under achieving front office and field management in baseball. I left a long list of teams who had under achieved more than the Dodgers (which to be honest is not exactly what he talked about but how do you measure under-achievement by management mostly by team performance) headed by the Mets. I did say, at that time, they had a chance to redeem their terrible season in the post-season but I was incorrect about that we now know.

forget about it…Coletti and Grady are staying…sorry for all of us, but true..

Now we have to be sure they don’t screw up the off season…I don’t want Santana if it means giving up Kemp, etc…We need OFFENSE as a few others have said…please don’t give up on Kemp…and I know Loney will be here..but this off season will be interesting to see if they “stay the course” like McCourt said…

Oh, by the way, MeLoan hasn’t shown me alot the few times he has pitched..probably needs more work in the minors…and Stultz, who I have liked hasn’t been the same since his big win at Shea last year….

The great thing is I was rooting for the Phillies and the Rockies…now the Rockies have a chance to take out the Madres…I hope they can…at least Bomko got the loss today..!!!! YEH…

I am happy we are staying the course but it’s scary that the course is being led by Ned. I hope, now that things are more clear, to be wrong, but deep down I am worried what this offseason will bring with his brain in charge. My only hope is that he was simply gunshy in 07 and didn’t trust Loney/Kemp (and others) which makes some sense I guess trying to give benefit of doubt. Let’s see if we can get that big hitter THIS off-season..It’s the #1 need. The rest will work out. As for Grady, I am indifferent but can see why anyone would be critical of him. And why most want him fired. I don’t feel as strongly..And really I should want him fired too, but most ‘s managers are easy to criticize…. baseball is easy to 2nd guess. It good that Grady and Ned get along, so there is no excuse not to win other than lack of execution; like this year.

Agree about a hitter..the kind of hitter I would like is someone like Aramis Ramirez…I know he isn’t available, but that kind of hitter would be great..and he could have played 3rd too…lol and he is “in” his prime like the other vets on our team aren’t…

Probably we can get by with our pitching, but we can’t with the hitting..so pray they don’t try to get Santana( who didn’t have a great year for him) and give up the farm!

Also agree I don’t trust Ned to do the right thing..Let’s hope he fools us in a good way this time..

Do not give up on the kids!!!
We have all the offense we need, but we need some fine tuning.

For one, put Pierre in LF next season and let Kemp patrol CF-at least the 1rst to 3rd will be cut down.

Go with the following lineup(assuming Pierre and Furcal are not gone and Kent is):

Pierre-LF

Furcal-SS

Loney-1b

Kemp-CF

Ethier-RF

Martin-CAT

Laroche-3b

Abreau-2b

This will be a very balanced lineup with speed at the top and decent power through the middle.

Do not trade Kemp and Kershaw for Santana. Granted, Santana would be great, but it”s doubtful the dodgers would pay the 150 mil needed to sign him long term, so why give up two prize jewels from the system for a one year rental. The future staff of a Bills and Kershaw going 1 and 2 will be dominant.

I still can’t believe the Mets blew the division. From day 1 of spring training I thought they had by far the most talent in the NL. I’M SOOOOOOO SAD THE SEASON IS OVER. I am dreading the long wait for next year to start =(

I think Furcal will return to his 2006 form, especially since 08 will be his FA year. The real question mark to me is Laroche, but I’d like to see what he can do once he is given the position. His minor league numbers are excellent and he has good command of the strike zone. I think full-time, he could hit at least 25 homers. Abreau looks like a solid .280+ hitter and Loney, Kemp, Martin and Ethier we all know can hit.

I think that lineup of jkeezell’s will have enough offense if Kent is back and hitting in the 5 or 6 spot. Hopefully our pitching next year will be much more like it was in the first half of the year then what it was in the 2nd.

Can Young play 3B? If he can I would trade LaRoche for a young pitcher and put Young at 3B. That kid can really hit. Jkeezell you are aware that Nomar will likely start next year as the every day 3B(No matter how much some of us hate him).

drpdedbind: When the Dodgers signed Wells and Loaiza many posters wrote to ask- why do we need these wash-up players we have Stults and Houlton. When our bullpen was lousy many (even including me) wrote that Meloan should be brought up. Just food for thought.

LaRoche and Abreu haven’t shown numbers or health. I’m not saying they can’t overcome both, but to pencil them into the starting lineup for next season is wishful thinking. Still say 3rd base is the one spot we go find a bopper. Still curious what Florida would want for Cabrerra…if they even want to trade him.

Kent’s offense is good, but I think his clubhouse persona and lack of leadership I think becomes detrimental to the team’s foundation. Sure, he hits .300 with 20 hr’s, but look at the issues over the year. He has had problems with Bonds, Bradley, Loney, Kemp and that is just off the top of my head. the fact that he took his concerns public shows his true demeanor and Dodgers are better served to cut ties with him. Also, something no one factors in is that most of the kids players together and won together in the minors. The J’ville team in 05 is considered one of the best in minor league history-Martin, Loney, Laroche, Broxton, Bills, Stults, Young we all members of that team.

Swood-I think the Dodgers will try to trade Nomar to the AL to serve as a DH, or relegate him to super utility/ph duty. he can play SS/1B/3b/2B-but his value as an everyday on field player has diminished due to his frequent injuries.

The reason Delwyn doesn’t play more is because they haven’t found a place for him other than the outfield..he supposedly is not good defensively in the infield or he would be there…but I agree they need him, so left field seems to be the place..they do need his OFFENSE…

I think DYoung would be a good 4th OF, unless they somehow trade Pierre and go with Kemp, Young and Ethier in the OF. Young has proved he can play; can pinch hit and is versatile enough to also play 2b

kahliforni good point. Some people seem to think LaRoche is the chosen one, I have yet to see anything from him that would lead me to believe such. I would also be in favor of getting a big bat at 3B. That is if young can’t play there… Reguarding Cabrera, I talked to a Nationals scout in Richmond a month ago and he told me he heard there had been talks between Ned and Florida about Cabrera but that it wouldn’t happen because the Marlins wouldn’t trade him unless they got Martin in return.

Yeah I don’t get McCourt’s undying support of this management team. I mean can’t he see how poorly his money has been spent. Even Vin pointed it out today. It seems like McCourt knows nothing about baseball and merely likes to fatten his wallet. I believe he wants to win but I don’t think he knows that the people he has hired will not help him win.

If the Dodgers could get Cabrera, that would be a coup, but I really don’t see the Marlins trading him. Laroche needs an opportunity. He should be given the role right out of spring training. Look what the Pads did with Kouzmanoff-he was horrid the first 2 months of the seaosn but SD stuck with him and he had a nice rookie season.

ya i still think laroche will come around. him and abreu will have this off season to get healthy and be ready for next season. i think ethier should be traded cuz we could get some good player(s) for him. i think DY is a better hitter than ethier as well

I think the dodgers may have come to the realization, albeit late, that Nomar is not an everyday player in the field, regardless of $$$. I really believe they will offer to trade him for a low level prospect and even agree to eat a portion of his salary to remove him from the roster. The dodgers cannot continue to give Nomar a starting postion, knowing that he problably will only give you 100-120 games, if even that.

I think McCourt is more interested in making Dodger Stadium Disney Land and he is content to sit back and let Ned make the moves. Ned is McCourt’s hand picked guy so I don’t think he will fire him after this year or after next. There is alot of blame to go around for this season but I think we can all agree that alot of it needs to go to Ned/the front office.

Really? Sorry man I think I will have to disagree with you there(not saying Grady doesn’t deserve any of the blame, because he definately does, I’m just saying Ned hasn’t done a very good job of putting this team together considering the payroll/young talent he’s had to work with)

I don’t think they trust LaRoche going into next season. However if they were to acquire someone else to play third that would leave Nomar on the bench. They might offer Nomar a bench job or give him the choice to be traded. Neither Nomar not LaRoche should be considered as viable options going into 08, unfourtunately.

jkeezell:a small,but I think important, correction: Kouzmanof was horrid until May 10 more like 5 weeks than 2 months.He hit .303 in May. Much easier to stick with a player who starts hitting after 5 weeks than after 2 months which is 9 weeks minus 2 days. Also they gave up their starting 2nd baseman for him.

The point I was making with Kouzamanoff, is that oftentimes it stays the course to be patient with a young hitter. Your stats back me up-I think the dodgers need to show patience with Laroche. If you use the Kouzmanoff example, then Laroche has roughly recieved 5 weeks of starting time, although not consecutive. I firmly believe, and I may be wrong, that Laroche will develop into a solid 3rd baseman. His defense is excellent and if he hit .270 with 25 hr’s I know all of us would be satisfied. While all of us who post, myself included, would love to see Arod at 3rd next season, it just doesn’t make sense to commit 30 mil to one player. That would limit the dodgers in other areas of acquisition, especially at the trade deadline. One thing we all forget about Laroche is that he was a projected 1rst or 2nd round pick in 2003, but many teams thought he was unsignable. Dodgers drafted him somewhere around the 39th round and gave him a 1 million dollar bonus which is unheard of for that draft position-so my point is he has the talent, he just needs to play.

I think Nomar could be a valuable DH/role player in the AL, however; in the NL, with his injury history, it’s difficult to project him into a starting position. I think the Dodgers will offer him to anyone who will take him and would be willing to recieve a single A player with limited potential just to get him off the roster.

I agree-I wish Pierre could be traded, but something tells me they won’t be able to trade him until at least 2-3 years of his contract are gone. I do think he should be moved full time to LF if he stays with the Dodgers, his rag of an arm has killed the Dodgers, especially Lowe and Penny who induce a lot of ground balls

Thanks Josh. We all appreciate what you’ve done in keeping us informed this year. It’s been a very frustrating and disappointing year and unless Grady is gone at the very least , nothing will change next year. You can bring in the best players in the game and he will mismanage them. Ned had one good off season and one very bad off season, if it were my choice he would be gone also , but I feel we will never go anywhere with Grady at the helm.

I don’t think LaRoche will start next year as the every day 3B, I think Nomar will. I think the Dodgers will handle LaRoche the way the did Loney, keep him in AAA for the first month in a half, see how he does and if he does well bring him up and let him play every day in the middle of May. Its just a guess but I wouldn’t be surprised if thats what our management decides to do.

I don’t want to sound like a two-timer, but I spent the day at Shea, with my daughter. Well It was like going to a prize fight and seeing a K.O. in the first round. The rest of the afternoon everybody spent watching the scoreboard. I got home to find we lost to the Gnats, but we beat them in the season series and we had a rather disappointing winning season, which we won 6 games less then last year. I think what it all boils down to is that the D’backs, Padres & Rockies improved themselves. I think we will show our improvement next year, because I like the direction we’re going in. That’s going to be some game tomorrow between the Padres & the Rockies, may the best team win. I also like to add that my first season on ITD was undiscribable in words, I’m having a great time.

Pierreeast I am so glad you enjoyed your first year of online Dodger. Get ready for a long winter my friend. I have spent a few years watching the Dodgers every day and the entire winter I spend looking forward to baseball season. lol. I was very depressed after the game ended today. My life is dramatically different October through March. Isn’t it funny how such a simple game can bring people so much joy. I will miss the 07 Dodgers. Better luck to the 08 team.

They might keep Nomar since Gonzo is definitely history. Kent has commented he’ll let everyone know in November what he’s decided to do. By the way, I actually talked to him. I told him that he’s the best player on the Dodgers (I say that to all the players just to be diplomatic) and he smiled and said, “sometimes.” He was so nice, not the way everyone describes him. He was laughing and talking, very personable. Don’t always believe the press.

On the last day of my first season as a Dodger fan, I cried because that scoundrel Joe Morgan hti a 7th inning home run that cost the Dodgers a trip to a one-game playoff against the Braves at Dodger Stadium (which my brother already had tickets to). I knew, with the type of certainty that only a 6-year old is capable of, that if it weren’t for that, the Dodgers would have won the one-game playoff, would have won that playoffs, and won the World Series.

25 seasons have come and gone since then, and while I have only cried at the end of one other season, that is also the only season that did not not end in disappointment. Some endings were more bitter–Jack Clark’s Home Run in 1985, losing out to Atlanta in 1991, Barry Bonds pirroutte in 1997. There were some seasons that were lost long before they ended–1994, of course; the 99 losses in 1992 seemed inevitable from the outset when Strawberry never showed up and Kal Daniels appeared as our first baseman on the All-Star Ballot (leading to a small and unsuccessful Eric Karros write-in campaign); and the 2005 season seemed over as soon as Jose Valentin lost a ground ball in the chalk on opening day. And some seasons, despite their disappointment, still seemed OK–even finishing at only .500 in 1993 was a vast improvement, and there was tremendous hope with the emergence of Karros and Piazza; 2006 was an unexpectedly successful season even if the post-season was not.

2007 qualifies as one of the more bitter disappointments–and that’s reason for optimism. I could handle the2005 season–it was a bad team. Even more so with th2 1992 club–there simply was not a reason to be optimistic at the outset. The 2007 Dodgers, however, were oming off of a playoff appearance and had the most talent in the division, and looked to begin a long string of playoff appearances. And, they led the National League West through the end of July. And then–a collapse. A fourth place finish, and a barely winning record. It’s a sad end, espescially when the Dodgers were so much fun to watch for most of the season.

But you can’t say next year does not have great promise. Loney, Kemp, and Billingsley have clearly busted down the door to become fixtures, if not stars (if not all-stars, if not superstars). They join Russell Martin who has already cleared the path, and Broxton, who while not yet in is final position as the closer, has established himself as the heir apparent. Meanwhile, Andre Ethier is also well set for a permanent starting role (though I admit that he or Del Young could be alternated, or even trade bait), while Andy LaRoche, Tony Abreu, and Chun-Lung Hu have all had their debuts, gotten a taste, and shown that there is still considerable potential in the Dodger farm system.

Much has been said of veterans vs. kids. I think it’s somewhat overblown, and surely a losing issue for veterans–the kids will always win in the long run. And the future of the Dodgers is now–all those questions about whether Loney has enough power for a first basemen have left the park with as much force as his 15 home runs in an off-season; the doubts as to whether Matt Kemp can hit the breaking ball have been erased by, as Vin Scully mentioned near the end of today’s broadcast, the third highest batting average for a player with more than 300 plate appearances since the Dodgers moved west; the concern about whether Bills could be a starter have been put aside next to his 6th best second-half ERA in the NL.

There are many calls to fire Ned or fire Grady. I understand them, but won’t join them . . . for now. In the end, the management tried to pave a very difficult path for the team–win now while building for the future. Luis Gonzalez was to be a bridge to Matt Kemp–Kemp proved that we needed only a short bridge, but I can’t blame Ned for not knowing that in November. Nomar was the most popular player in LA at the end of last year, and had posted a good season. Knowing that Nomar was versatile and willing to move, I can’t blame him for re-signing. Even though I did not make it to a game on the final homestand (I got Rafael Furcal’s sprained ankle this week), when I was there on the last homestand, Nomar still got the best crowd reaction. I think it was the team’s biggest mistake was in sending Loney down to start the year and not moving Nomar to third (and when you listen to Vinny, it sounds like he agrees), but I don’t blame them for signing Nomar, and I recognize that mistakes can be made. And there were plenty, but overall, the approach was sound–win now, save the future. The future came early, and it is here now. As long as Ned and Grady put that future into play next season, the Dodgers will do well. I think it’s critical that we keep Logan White in the organization, and I would love to have Kirk Gibson as our manager, but while they are responsible for the team, I don’t “blame” Ned and Grady.

How do they do that? There don’t need to be too much. I hope that Jeff Kent comes back for one more year. He can still whack the ball, and Tony Abreu can back him up at second, and split time with Nomar at third. If there is really big back like A-Rod, I’m for that. I don’t really see picking up Tori Hunter or Andruw Jones (personally, I think all those players will re-sign with their current teams, who can either afford them (Jones and A-Rod), or who really need them to lead their franchise into a new stadium (Hunter). And frankly, a deal for Hunter or Jones will only make sense if there is a trade for a Santana or Santana-like pitcher (no, that deal really can’t include Matt Kemp, but maybe Ethier and/or Del Young, though I would hate to lose those guys). I don’t foresee, and other than those few things mentioned, hope not to see, any big off-season move. Just playing the young guys we have will give us most of the talent we need. We also need some better coaching–teaching the younger players and adopting a more aggressive approach on the basepaths and a more methodical and patient approach with the at-bats.

But 2008 looks good.

I could say that 2007 was lousy–but it really wasn’t. It was a great season for four months, and a good season for 5 1/2 months, with a lousy 15 days at the end. I was more excited going into the season than at any other time in the last ten years, and am more optimistic about next year than I was last year–and I was more opticmistic about next year than at any time in a long time. It ends poorly, but as a year, it was better than any time during the Fox ownership, and I give credit to the McCourts. Oh, they make mistakes, but even the O’Malleys did too. But it seems to me that the ownership is committed to the same things we are–winning championships the Dodger Way. To understand what that means, take a look at this article from ten years ago about how we used to treat our minor leagues and development: http://www.fastcompany.com/online/08/dodgers.html. I hope, and think, we are seeing more of that. I know some people are saying that if we can spend $70 million in stadium refurbishments, can’t we spend that on players? It really is different. These are changes to the stadium that will be in place for the next 50 years. Come the 2009 season, Dodger Stadium will be the third oldest park in baseball, and still the best. But to last, it has to be last and continue to be the best there is, refurbishments and upgrades have to be made. Baseball is a business, and the McCourts know that (just like the O’Malleys, who were the classic baseball business-people). And they know this simple truth–winning is good for business. Dodger fans set yet another team record with an attendance of 3.8 million. The McCourts want to see 4 million. That will only happen if the Dodgers win the National League West next year.

Apologies, again, for a long post. I imagine everyone’s posts will be fewer and further between for the next few months, but I hope everyone keeps up the discussion during the hot stove season. For now, all we have is wondering what could have been, and hoping for the best for what will be. For six months, there won’t be Dodger Dogs, cracks of the bat, or Vin Scully’s calming voice. But like Dodger fans have been saying for 117 years–“wait until next year.”

I agree with some of what you say and definitely with how you feel. I am a little depressed that I will not have a Dodger game to watch for another 6 months. But you are correct there is alot to be excited about. In your assessment that you do not disagree with Ned or Grady approach. Ned panicked with Nomar when Aramis Ramirez resigned and JD opted out. He went and signed Pierre. I love his attitude but I cannot take another 4 years of weak popups or ground balls or his poor defense. And the Schmidt signing was poor from the moment I heard it. Why would the Giants not pay 52 mil for 3 years to a guy that had gone to battle for them many years and would rather give 126 mil to Zito? They knew his arm history and the ***** Conte should have known. I hope he got a nice bonus from Schmidt.

If the Dodgers do sign an outfielder I hope it is Hunter. He seems the type and is in an age group not so separated from the young guns. Move Pierre to left or trade him and pay most of his salary (christmas wish). And if they can trade and sign Santana to an extension go for it. It will be the first true ace since Hershiser.

As for Grady the fact that he lost the locker room is unacceptable. His lineups were perplexing, but he was supposedly a communicator. Scioscia would not have lost the locker room and he would have had his guys running and making things happen and not worry about the lack of power. Grady does not use his talent to offset it weaknesses. I would personally like to see a Gibson or I will throw out a name that has Dodger Blue ties. Steve Yeager, he has managed in the Martins,Kemps, Loneys. He would not let the locker room bs fester. He knows what it means to be a Dodger and he was a winner. If McCourt and Ned were smart they would hire Boomer and start the real Dodger tradition.

Well I have vented enough and I hope I did not lose any of you due to the long post, but I had to get it off my chest. I also hope the discussion keeps up and look forward to it.

McJerkoff has announced that ticket prices will be going up next season. I’m sorry, but after you’ve had a losing season and broken the attendance record, it doesn’t sound as though increasing prices is the way to go.

Tomko lamented that he felt “like I let the guys down…” I honestly feel bad for Tomko…crummy year. But the irony for Kevin Towers must be obvious. Do you think he wishes Boomer had started that game, staked to a 3-run lead, instead of our departed friend?

Thank you for providing this blog as a forum for Dodger fans to put down their thoughts in writing, banter, second-guess, celebrate victories, and recover from defeats. Most importantly, thanks to you (and your staff?) for actually taking the time to read these posts and use this forum as another method to gauge the fans’ perspective. Remember, Bill Plaschke does not speak for the majority!

Last time I checked, Grady Little’s contract is only through the next season (2008). I seriously doubt the Dodgers can enter the season with a lame-duck manager, so the real off-season Little story is: does Grady get an extension or not? Seems like he has to get at least a one-year extension through 2009, or get fired.

Logan White has brought this organization Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, and Jonathan Broxton. White was high enough on LaRoche to draft him when it was thought Andy was unsignable and he and the Dodgers got LaRoche under contract. Trust Logan White.

LaRoche is seven months older than James Loney. Before this year, Loney had 406 AAA PAs, and 667 including this year. Including this year, LaRoche has 541 AAA PAs.

1) trade Laroche.. you’ll get a decent return on him. this opens up 3b, which leads me to

2) Sign Arod. hes sick, hes worth the money, and if youre really going to argue this… you’re just being a hater.

now what you have is a SICK lineup.

1. cf- Pierre

2. ss- raffy

3. 1b – loney

4. 3b – arod

5. rf – kemp

6. c – martin

7. lf – ethier

8. 2B – D.Young

thats a good balance of power and speed… youngsters heavy, but still got a couple vets on the team. Also, since its young’n heavy, you’ll be able to afford arods contract. You throw this lineup up there with the pitching we already have (and up and coming kids in the minors, Clayton, etc)… we’ll make the playoffs and have a good shot at the series. This is assuming we remain “realtively” healthy come october.

I hate to see that the manager and GM will be back next year. Since they’ll be back hopefully they both learned a lesson this year. Our young guys got a lot of experience this year and should be better next year. I hope Ned leaves the country for the whole winter so he won’t do anything stupid this offseason. Maybe the Rockies or D-backs will win it all so the Dodgers management will see that the youth can win it all.

It is a dark day to be a Dodger fan. We have the highest payroll in the division and we finish in fourth place. Our mangaer doesn’t want to hold anybody responsible and we have to go through another season with grady at the helm. ALL the moves in the world will not mean anything without the right management in place. I’m sure grittle will hire ex- red manager jerry narron, another loser to help him out. It was fun guys I will have my own little boycott no post and no trips to Dodger Stadium until Grady is fired so long…

Josh,
Thanks again for providing this forum for us Dodger fans to express our feelings. I don’t post here often, but read it when I have time. If there is a way for you to filter out the foul language and rude attitudes of some fans this would be a more pleasant place to visit. Jon Weisman’s blog at Dodgerthoughts has rules which posters must obey, so there is less riff-raff.

I became a Dodger fan back in the 60’s, before Drysdale retired. I’ve seen many good teams, and a few bad teams. When the Dodgers were great they were always built from within. This Dodger team can be a great team…if its not tinkered with too much.

This was actually a very good season…until August. I understand the disgruntlement of some veterans who lose playing time as they feel their careers winding down, but it appears that Grady could have done a better job of communicating and keeping everyone on the same page. In hindsight though, the real reason our team collapsed was primarily the injuries to our pitching staff. If Schmidt, Wolf, Kuo, & Brazoban could have been healthy I think we would be in the playoffs right now. Subpar performances by Loaiza, Hernandez, & Tomko, along with Grady’s over-predictable use of the bullpen, Furcal’s health issues, and an incredibly potent Colorado Rockies team are what led to our demise.

A knee-jerk reaction roster shake-up would be a monumental mistake.

Leekfink has a very well stated post above, and I agree with most of his thoughts. While many people want to lambast Colletti, I don’t. I understand the reasoning behind most of his personnel decisions, and don’t blame him for injuries to some key acquisitions. However, knowing that Colletti cut his teeth under Brian Sabean causes concern for many Dodger fans who fear he will mold a roster of aging veterans surrounding a couple mega-superstars, which will underperform like the ’07 Giants.

I didn’t like the signing of Pierre when Lofton could have stayed for a fraction of the price/commitment and is essentially the same player. There are other deals that I wasn’t crazy about, but I can’t think of them right now. Though I understand the rationale, these aging guys are scary. Everytime Hernandez pitched I just cringed, but I know he was necessary to rest the other relievers. I was really hopeful when we got Loaiza, but he pitched worse than Tomko.

The best deal Colletti made was probably the decision to keep Loney instead of trading the farm for Texieira.

The lesson I’ve learned lately is that you don’t need a huge payroll to have a winning team. You need to keep and nurture your youngsters. People worry about the lack of power, but I’ll bet that a full season of Loney, Kemp, Young, LaRoche, & Martin could rival the power of Tulowitzki, Holliday, Helton, Atkins, & Hawpe…in 2009. With the coming emergence of Kershaw, Elbert, MacDonald, & Meloan, these guys are going to be awesome!

Another lesson I’ve learned is that you can’t annoint a rookie as a starting player. The Dodgers previously made that mistake with Joe Thurston & Edwin Jackson. I believe that’s why Loney & Kemp began the season in AAA and Billingsley started the season in the bullpen. So, I understand that LaRoche, Young, & Abreu must start in AAA next year, but this Dodger team has a chance to be fantastic if its kept together!

Josh, please let Colletti and McCourt know that so many true Dodger fans can’t wait to see these kids play again next year!

Did anyone else notice in the Gallery Photos they refer to Delwyn Young as Tony Abreu. Another thing I will mention, there are some Met fans that are suffering this year’s Blow, also went through the one in 1951. I know because some of them are friends of mine.

Just heard on an ESPN chat that there is division between the front office and the development side of the Dodgers…If Ned has his way the lineup will get a complete overhaul…If the development side win, the kids will play…Let’s hope Ned doesn’t win…another terrible off season could be at hand.

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